The Most Popular Art Fair in India held ART EXPO INDIA 2009 MumbaiMention also must be made of a retrospective at Art Expo India, which was arranged as a tribute to S. H. Raza and his dedication to art. The legendary artist has remarked: “I have lived fully"

News-Antique.com - Oct 10,2009 - Following close on the heels of the hugely successful India Art Summit held in Delhi, came our very own Art Expo '09 at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai from 25-27 September, an event that brought about mixed emotions to begin with, but as the programme entered it's second day, the murmurs seemed to subside in intensity and at the conclusion, all participants and visitors should have come away a satisfied lot.

An amiable platform to acquaint oneself with the art world, meet new friends, re-establish old ties, it is hoped that the Expo will be broader-based to attract a larger cross section of the art community in the years to come. Surely, the art hub of India can and should match strides with the very best.

Considered among the major events on the country’s art calendar, the second edition of AEI served as the most comprehensive congregation of art collectors, museum directors, critics, art historians, art fund managers and corporate decision makers from across the globe. The fair, a showcase of the very best in Modern & Contemporary art, acted as a flash point, to ignite interest in contemporary Indian art. Stung by global recession and economic crisis, AEI could not have come at a better time, playing the role of a catalyst to revive the art scene.

The central theme was emerging contemporary Indian art and the relationship it shares with the international art scene. There’s no doubt about the fact that India’s art scene has acquired center stage globally. Though Indian art has been in existence for centuries, its impact on the larger international canvas has been rather limited. However, things are now fast changing as witnessed at the expo that was a vibrant reflection of the country’s myriad art trends, encompassing sociopolitical, religious and historical developments.

Renowned curator-collector Mrs. Kay Saatchi inaugurated the event. The keynote address delivered by her dwelt upon the theme of spotting young talent and building up an art collection. In fact, a major highlight of the event was a series of freewheeling conversations with some of the luminaries of the international art world, comprising Mallika Sagar Advani, Anjolie Ela Menon. Dr. Alka Pande, Jitish Kallat, Ranjit Hoskote, Bose Krishnamachari, Shantanu Poredi, Brian Brown, Sharan Apparao, Menaka Kumari-Shah, Abhay Sardesai and Kirsty Ogg. Themes like buying art in recessionary times; ‘Art in Life: the ‘Daily Pleasure of Collecting’; ‘The aesthetics of the erotic’; (X)topia: A Search for Place, A Place for